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Is Patti LuPone Cancelled?

FOLLOWING an Open Letter Patti LuPone has issued an apology. She has taken responsibility for her actions.

Before we move on to the detail of the storm in a teacup, it feels time to ask what on earth the open letter thinks it is.

It is not really a letter at all, despite being framed as such, though it seems anxious to be seen as activism.

In the end, perhaps, the biggest problem with the open letter is its condescending relationship with the readers.

It does not purport to be addressed to them at all, you see, preferring instead the pretence that it is being sent over their heads. It affects not to attempt to engage them in the slightest, except perhaps in the role of admiring bystander.

It’s more often than not like some weirdly misguided equivalent of the fourth wall, with readers invited to press their noses up against the glass and be grateful for the sight of two cultural figures indulging in some drama.

The worst part of it is that we are not allowed to really discuss the fallout or pile-on because of political correctness.

Still, on with the show, and a now-overdue recap of the disagreements between Patti LuPone and everyone else in question.

It started with a noise complaint.

Last year, while starring alongside Mia Farrow in The Roommate, Patti LuPone became frustrated about sound bleeding in from Hell’s Kitchen, the Alicia Keys musical next door. Sound interference is common on Broadway, particularly in plays, where volume levels are generally lower. LuPone said she raised the issue with the Shubert Organization, which manages both theatres, and the problem was resolved.

But the issue didn’t stay quiet for long.

In November, Hell’s Kitchen star Kecia Lewis—who would go on to win a Tony Award for her role—posted a video to Instagram criticising LuPone’s complaint. In what she also described as an “open letter,” Lewis called LuPone’s actions “bullying,” “offensive,” and “racially microaggressive.”

“Referring to a predominantly Black Broadway show as loud,” Lewis said, “can unintentionally reinforce harmful stereotypes.”

Audra McDonald, the most awarded performer in Tony history and a founding member of Black Theatre United, responded to Lewis’s post with emojis. While the comments were later deleted, People magazine reported that McDonald had commented: “❤️❤️👏🏾👏🏾.”

Fast forward to 2025, and in a New Yorker profile published last week, writer Michael Schulman asked LuPone about McDonald’s emoji response. LuPone replied, “Exactly. And I thought, You should know better. That’s typical of Audra. She’s not a friend.” She added that there had been a rift between them but declined to elaborate.

Is it racist to ask the show next door to turn the volume down? No, it happens all the time.

Anyway, when asked about McDonald’s current performance as Mama Rose in Gypsy—a role LuPone famously played—she paused for 15 seconds, then turned to the window and said, “What a beautiful day.”

In her Instagram video, Lewis referred to LuPone as a fellow theatre veteran. LuPone rejected the term.

“She calls herself a veteran?” she said to The New Yorker. “Let’s find out how many Broadway shows Kecia Lewis has done. She’s done seven. I’ve done thirty-one. Don’t call yourself a vet, bitch.”

The New Yorker noted that LuPone understated Lewis’s credits and overstated her own. Next: an open letter from some 500 artists accusing her of “abusive behaviour”.
The letter, addressed to the Broadway League, American Theatre Wing and “greater theatre community”, asked to disinvite LuPone from this weekend’s Tony Awards and other industry events.

Though they’ve never done a Broadway show together, LuPone and McDonald have shared the stage many times at concerts and benefits. LuPone previously called McDonald “brilliant” in a blog post and wrote in her 2011 memoir, “The two of us became friends.”
LuPone has a long-standing reputation for sharp, unsparing commentary. McDonald, by contrast, is known for her composed public presence.

Both are musical theatre legends. McDonald holds the record for most competitive Tony wins and is nominated again this year for Gypsy. LuPone has won three.
As you’re supposed to learn from early childhood, it is a mark of weakness never to apologise or own up.

In the wake of the backlash to the New Yorker interview, LuPone issued a 163-word statement over the weekend, posted to Instagram and Facebook.

“I am deeply sorry for the words I used during The New Yorker interview, particularly about Kecia Lewis, which were demeaning and disrespectful,” she wrote. “I regret my flippant and emotional responses during this interview, which were inappropriate, and I am devastated that my behavior has offended others and has run counter to what we hold dear in this community. I hope to have the chance to speak to Audra and Kecia personally to offer my sincere apologies.”

LuPone concluded: “I made a mistake, I take full responsibility for it, and I am committed to making this right. Our entire theater community deserves better.”

Meanwhile, in an interview with CBS News’ Gayle King set to air Tuesday, McDonald said she hadn’t seen LuPone in 11 years.

“If there’s a rift between us, I don’t know what it is,” she said. “That’s something you’d have to ask Patti about.”

LuPone’s remarks drew criticism from many. Tony winner Alex Newell posted, “To me what it all boils down to is the erasure of legacy,” adding, “Y’all don’t think calling a fellow actress a bitch in major print isn’t like, crazy?”

Tony winner Adrienne Warren also expressed support for Lewis and McDonald: “So many of us wouldn’t have dared to try if it weren’t for you.”

Ultimately, LuPone can’t beat the racially micro-aggressive accusations while calling a Black woman a bitch in print.

The optics were not ideal.

Writer Ira Madison III attempts to unpack this in an excellent Substack post: “One thing I will say first about this New Yorker drama is that it’s clear no one read the entire article when it dropped on Monday. Because the focus was “Why did Patti single out these two actresses?” But if you read the whole thing, she attacked a ton of people in it. Hell, she even called Glenn Close a bitch too. But the difference is that Glenn is white and a household name, much like Patti is. There are different power and racial dynamics at play when she refers to Kecia as a bitch.”